Audio levels in exported video [Premiere Pro CS6]

Report · Apr 10, 2013

The audio level is just what I want in the actual track. However, when I export the video the exported audio is too loud. So I went back and lowered the clip by 3dB...the volume level of exported video still didn't change--it sounds like people are shouting.

This is a new problem...is there a setting in the export dialog box I have accidentally changed?

Thanks in advance.

Report · Apr 10, 2013

How are you monitoring your export to

determine the audio levels are too hot?

Report · Apr 10, 2013

Yes. I'm monitoring levels. I edited the track in Audition and the level was just where I wanted it. Even back in Premiere Pro the volume was perfect. When I exported though it's way loud. I'm sure it's a dumb something I'm overlooking, as I've had no such problem before.

Report · Apr 10, 2013

When I exported though it's way loud.

Again, how are you playing back the exported file

to make your determination that the audio is too hot?

VLC?

Quicktime Player?

Windows Media Player?

Other?

Try importing your exported file back into Premiere

and check the audio levels there.

.

Report · Apr 10, 2013

I even went back into audition, amplified by -15dB [yes, -15!], came back into Premiere Pro and the track was barely audible. Exported it...screaming.

My deadlines have deadlines, so I need help. Is there any quick and dirty program I can use to just adjust audio level within the finished mp4 file? I'm running Mountain Lion on MacBook Pro, but have access to Windows if I need it.

Report · Apr 10, 2013

You still haven't indicated how you are playing the exported file. Maybe the volume of the speakers is too high for either the speakers themselves. Maybe the software or hardware settings that is driving the speakers has the volume set high.

I usually set my volume to -12 db. When exported and burned as a DVD, played through a DVD player the volume is close to TV program volume. When exported to Vimeo or YouTube, the volume is fine.

Perhaps check the volume settings of your "player".

Report · Apr 10, 2013

It's not my player--it's actually being played on serveral devices. I exported several versions, all with varying degrees of reduced amplification. There's not one bit of change, when played on my computer or the target device [LMS authoring program on another computer]. No change is being made to the volume settings of either device.

As -15dB made a very slight difference, I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing until the volume is acceptable. I've created hundreds of videos without this issue before...when I changed the amplification in Premiere Pro, it resulted in a lower volume in the video itself. This is weird.

Report · Apr 10, 2013

Both PP and Audition export audio at the level specified. If it seems too loud when you play it back, then turn down the volume on the playback device. (Also, make sure you don't have any kind of audio effect like Normalization or ReplayGain turned on.)

Report · Apr 25, 2013

I'm having the same problem. I just edited a musical. Exported to MPEG2-DVD. Imported to Encore, and the volume level is much louder. So the volume level that I hear while editing in Premier (CS6) is a good normal level, the level I hear when played in Encore (CS6) is loud. No changes are made to the system or volume levels anywhere. It is simply louder.

Report · Apr 25, 2013

Bring the .wav into Audition. What's the level?

Report · Jun 12, 2013

I am Also having this issue, but with just exporting to an MPEG 2- For Broadcast, Levels are never consistant, only minor drops though, but enough to be rejected from the stations, anyone come up with a fix for this?

Report · Jun 12, 2013

I'm not convinced there is an issue. PP should export at the levels specified in the sequence, and in my experience it always does. Chances are this issue is simply one of playback levels, not actual errors with encoding levels.

Report · Oct 06, 2013

I have just started having exactly the same issue when exporting for DVD. No matter what the audio levels are in Premier CS6 (all of mine are capped at -3DB) the exported WAV file is amplified so that EVERYTHING that was at -6DB or higher is driven to 0DB and clipped. I have tried exporting the audio separately but get the same results. If I export to other formats besides DVD, such as mp4, everything is fine. So far the problem seems to be just for DVD exports. I never had this problem before so I am sure it is related to the most recent upgrade. If this post is responded to by a MPV I hope he/she does not take the smug approach that I or the original poster just don't know what I am doing.

Report · Oct 06, 2013

Record some -20 tone in Audition and pass it through a Premiere edit. Re-import the final file into Audition and have a look at the levels. This will give us some idea where the errors are coming from. If you are recording Dolby Digital the dianorm setting can affect some replay levels.

Report · Oct 07, 2013

I will do this as soon as I get some time. In the meantime I went back to my Premiere project and adjusted everything down so that nothing exceed -6DB. It still comes out of the export about 3DB hotter but that keeps it at a non-clipping level.

I am changing to CC after this project. I will run a test there to see if the problem remains.

Report · Oct 07, 2013

It still comes out of the export about 3DB hotter

How was that verified?

Report · Oct 07, 2013

I haven’t done a scientific verification (or refute) yet because I just had to get something out, but my observation is that the wav file has a lot of peaks hitting -3db while I’m pretty sure I normalized all my audio clips at -6db or lower. Anyway, I got the job done. I was just pretty cranky because a task that I thought was going to take me about an hour took about 8. There may be something related specifically to that work station. That one is at my home. I have another I use at school (I’m a teacher). I’ve already started using CC at school. The project was from last year and was done in CS6.

Report · Oct 07, 2013

lot of peaks hitting -3db

What I'm asking is how do you know where it was peaking?

Report · Oct 07, 2013

I suggest you do a test.

New Project

Create bars and tone.

Note Tone level on db Meter in Premiere.

Export to DVD (however you have been doing that)

Load the audio file back into Premiere and note level on the db Meter

BTW - I would be keen to see a screen grab of your Mixer in your problem project.

Report · Oct 06, 2013

I don't. I traced my problem to a third party software I had installed to boost my audio levels on my MBP .

It works like a charm in increasing levels of music and movies--it even has an equalizer. Once I turned it off, then exported from PPro now I didn't have the same clipping problems.

It's still exporting louder than when I play the clips inside PPro, but usable. I just adjust the master audio track down before export and it's okay.

MVP

Report · Jul 18, 2014

I have found this to be a problem in CC at one of the places I work.

Export at 16bit perfect levels with a tone ident...bring it back it into the project and now -3db.

I tried exporting 32bit float and it comes out 3db higher!

Only method I have found is to export audio separately to a 32bit file then in a new final video sequence, replace the audio timeline with this file and adjust levels. The new export seems to come out at the right levels

May have something to do with a bug in the pan law but you can't adjust settings like in Audition.

Many bugs in this program causing me nightmares....

....Can't save track preset effects and have to copy complicated track EQ and compression settings by hand

....Track effect settings adjustments that revert as soon as you click away or hit play

....Very slow with crashes and freezes in sequences with nested sequences.

Leave plenty of time for your final exports...you will need it

Report · May 02, 2015

I am having the same issue in Premiere Pro CC 8.1. The reference tone comes through at -20db as it should but all the rest of the audio is way higher on the meters when the export is brought back into premiere than it is in the original timeline.

Report · Jan 04, 2016

i am having the same issue and other audio plugin issues I posted here. Audio errors with the latest upgrade

Report · Jan 04, 2016

I'm having the same and other audio issues I posted here.. Audio errors with the latest upgrade I'm surprised to see that it is happening in CS6 as well.

Report · Jan 11, 2016

Since upgrading [several times since original post] I don't have this problem anymore. Sorry.